Storytime resumes Thursday, September 6. August is vacation time for us as well as ball players and many families, not to mention all the getting ready for school activity. Our preschool programs and staff take a break during this often overscheduled time. We’ll be looking forward to seeing older and new, younger children. The program starts at 10:00 and last about 45 minutes. Stories, finger plays, and activity, and treats are standard fare with time for playing, socializing, and exploring books.
Footprints have marched over the library walls, keeping track of all the hours read. Plus lots of teens and adults passed on their reviews and won prizes. Grades 1 - 6 had 147 registered and read 1150 hours. 43 completed 10 hours of reading. Average story time attendance was 22. Thirty-nine teens registered. 18 read 102 items. Adults read and rated books and won prizes in addition to the weekly Where in Ohio Will You Go ? drawings.
But their attention was elsewhere. This year we had 16 participants who read 84 books. Last year there were 37 participants who read 263 books. Checkouts for June & July 2007 were 1396 ANF plus 1426 AF ; for 2006 - 1511 ANF plus 1745 AF, a 13% drop in circulation. Juvenile circulation was down 21% during that same period. Picture books were about the same. Get a Clue registration was a little higher than last year; completion was a little lower though the change from books read to hours read makes comparison a problem.
Mostly it’s interesting. We were really surprised at the reduced circulation as the library has been a busy, active place this summer especially on Monday mornings and the programs have been enjoyed.
Summer Reading ended with a magical flourish on July 23. Stephen Knight’s program combined books and tricks and entranced close to 100 parents, children, and staff. Special thanks to those all too willing (perhaps excepting Miss Vicky) participants who got wet or embarrassed for the added entertainment to mere spectators. One innocent passer-by stopped to watch the show and added it to the “only in Ashley could this happen” list.
“The Crack in the Wall”, a mystery to be solved, was deemed our best ever teen program by at least one participant. Teams busily examined and compared various clues to determine who had killed the body discovered in the wall of the library.
Thanks to local business Dan’s Deli, Whipple’s, Scrib’s Pub and Grub, and Longbranch for providing coupons. Dan Collins, the Burns family, and Kathleen Layman donated expertise, time, and prizes. Extra special thanks to children’s librarian Vicky Collins and Susan Bussard for many hours of work organizing the summer programs.
Wheels to Work provides vehicle repair to individuals receiving funds from “Prevention, Retention, Contingency” a statewide program for one-time, short term assistance to low income families. Repair is limited to Morrow County residents and $500 per year per individual. Call Morrow County Job and Family services for more information. Check your local library for other services such as Homestead Exemption applications.
MORE is here. We’ve been an interlibrary loan borrower for years and are delighted that we are now able to be a lender, too. We’ve had eight requests from other libraries during the first week. This program for borrowing books from other libraries now has all the pieces together except for one. That one missing piece is YOU the borrower.
Request any material you want. That includes videos and audio books. We should be able to get it for you. It’s unfortunate that our catalog system doesn’t enable patrons to go directly to the MORE catalog and place requests. You still have to know what you want and you still have to ask. Please ask, often. Libraries work because everyone in the community is sharing resources. That community is now state wide and shares all circulating items . We’re getting proficient at sending off books to other libraries but need practice getting materials for out patrons. Bring us your requests. It would be ironic if our joining MORE turned out to be only a benefit to other libraries and not one for our patrons.
The library also has wireless access to the Internet - just provide your own laptop.
Audio books are good traveling companions both for the whole family to share and for individual listening on vacation trips or daily commutes. We have all the Harry Potter books. Most audio books have been moved to the back room of the library.
Delaware County Fair entries deadline is August 24. Booklets with entry forms are at the library.
Buckeye Valley starts August 29. Supply lists are on the website and at the library.
